1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new or improved holster assembly which is particularly, but not exclusively, useful for supporting a portable dental handpiece and a power pack therefor.
2. The Prior Art
A dental handpiece is a tool held in a dentist's hand which has an operating head, usually rotatably powered, insertable in a patient's mouth, which operating head is commonly designed to operably hold a variety of tools for working on a patient's teeth or gums, for example, drill bits, reamers, sanders and polishers and the like. In a dentist's office, the handpiece, and in turn these tools, are normally powered from permanently installed, relatively massive or substantial equipment which limits the area of use of the handpiece.
There are numerous circumstances calling for a dentist to work out of his office, or even in the next room, and these needs have brought forth portable electrically powered dental handpieces with separate transportable power packs, enabling a dentist to work outside of his office, in for example nursing or retirement homes, or at other remote locations, or as a visiting dentist at a clinic.
These portable dental handpieces equipped with power packs require carrying means for safely transporting the equipment and for keeping same in storage, or while in use.
Many holsters for supporting useful articles are of course known and the prior art also contains a variety of proposals for supports that are releasably attachable to an article of apparel such as a belt or shirt pocket. These proposals range from a simple resilient clip, such as that often found on the back of a retractable tape measure to more complex constructions shown in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,746,042 (King); 4,363,432 (Warthen); and 4,159,773 (Losenno).
None of these patents discloses a holster assembly that could possibly meet, or obviously be adapted to meet, the purposes of the present invention. None discloses, nor suggests, a construction that would serve a dentist's needs in supporting a portable dental handpiece and power pack. More specifically, there is a need for a holster assembly capable of supporting both a dental handpiece and power pack in an out of use, but convenient, storage position, and also to support the power pack while the dentist is using the handpiece. None of the prior such holder means provide for the power packs controls to be exposed and conveniently accessible whilst the handpiece is operating. One way of meeting this particular need is by mounting the power pack on the dentist's clothing, for example, his belt or pocket.